constamment; alors ils pourroient alternativement et dans certains temps de l'année aller visiter les catholiques de l'intérieur, et leur administrer les secours de la religion. La congregation de la propagande a cherché à remplir ce but aussi beau qu'il seroit salutaire. Elle l'a fait au commencement, mais les évènemens des derniers temps ont mis à la continuation de ses desseins un obstacle qu'elle pu surmonter.

n'a

Stockholm, le 9. Novembre 1812.

N. XI.

Copy of a Letter from Mr. Cockburn, the British Resident at Hamburgh, to Lord Viscount Castlereagh.

My Lord.

Hamburgh, Feb. 22, 1816.

I Have the honour to transmit to your Lordship a letter which I have received from Sir John Cox Hippisley, requesting me, under the authority of Lord Bathurst, to forward to your lordship's office an account of the regulations existing at Hamburgh and in the neighbouring states, relative to the nomination of prelates of the Roman catholic communion, and of the countroul which is exercised by the governments over the publication of papal rescripts.

In obedience to Lord Bathurst's direction, I have the honour to inform your lordship, that the governments of Hamburgh and of the neighbouring states, exercice the fullest controul over all publications under ecclesiastical authority, and that the laws expressly prohibit all such publications without the previous sanction of the government. Since the reformation of Luther, no papal edict has been published at Hamburgh; dispensations and rules

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for ecclesiastical discipline are exhibited on the interior doors of the Roman catholic chapel; papal briefs are also sent to the bishops, but are not published by them.

When the order of the Jesuits existed in Germany, all papal edicts were sent to the provincials of that order in the several parts of Germany. The provincial for the North resided at Buhren in Westphalia, and the appointments to the seminaries were in his nomination. On the suppression of this order, their missions in the north of Germany were replaced by an apostolic vicar, at present, the prince of Fürstenberg, bishop of Hildesheim.

With regard to the nomination of prelates of the Roman catholic communion, I should observe, that there are no dignitaries of that religion at Hamburgh; the priests are nominated by the bishop of Hildesheim, but such .nominations are expressly subject to the confirmation of the sneate. In the act of toleration, now in force, it is expressly stated, «that te nomination of Roman catholic priests must be made known to the senate, and be subjected to their confirmation, which however, without great cause, they will never refuse. »

I have the honour to inclose a translation of the act of toleration alluded to, which has been sent me by the syndic for foreign affairs.

1

With the highest respect, I have the honour to by etc. etc.

(Signed) ALEX. COCKBURN.

B.

Translation of the act of toleration of the Roman Catholic Religion in the City of Hamburgh.

Act of Toleration of the Senate of Hamburgh (Without dated. *)

We, the Burgomasters and Senate of the free imperial city of Hamburgh, do hereby make publicly known, That

*Correctly printed from the original, delivered to Mr. Cockburn, by the Syndic of Hamburgh.

We, with the consent of the hereditary Burgers, and in the full conviction that the toleration of religion, as far as it is suitable with the nature of every state, is as well consistent with the spirit of true christianity, as it is useful to the welfare of the commonwealth, have concluded, that all those who profess the Roman Catholic or the Evangelic Reformed Religion, shall enjoy the free and uninterrupted exercice thereof, under the following conditions, viz.

1. The right of public exercise of religion, as also the rights of the dominant church remain solely reserveded to those who profess the evangelic Lutheran religion; also especially in civilibus, and namely for the faculty of places of honour in this place, burgers, collegiis, officiis, services of the town, and what else may be in this way; to which end, all former recesses which concern this point, and especially the one of 1603, are herewith confirmed anew,

2. On the otherhand, all Roman catholics and evangelic reformed, who are here at present, or which may still come this way, shall enjoy in future under our protection, within the walls of the city, a free private exercise of their religion, and shall uninterruptedly perform the divine service, through a clergyman of their religion, and have the sacrament administered according to their usances. 3. To which end we herewith accord to them, that they may at their expence build within the walls of the city particular oratories, or arrange already standing buildings to the use of their divine service, on giving us previous notice to have our constitutional approbation thereto; but such buildings dare neither have steeples, bells, nor other outward appearing signs of a public church.

4. That it also may come to their knowledge where they have to apply to in matters of the church; in the first instance, we have ordered a deputation consisting of two men amidst of us, and two members of the Collegii of the Sixty, at which they must notice all choices of their priests, candidates, etc. and before which, all in each

congregation arising accidents and discords, which are not of a nature to be adjusted be the juridic and policy authorities, must be stated in the first instance, and decided by, according to each party's religious doctrines and usances; where also the yearly accounts of each congregation must be presented by their intendant, in the presence of some deputies. Him that is not pleased with the decision of this deputation, has the only way open to him for a decision non-juridical but constitutional, in the usual manner, without that a provocation to the court of justice or other expedient of right can take piace.

5. To each of the two before-mentioned worships, the choice of their priests, as also the appointment of their necessary candidates, schoolmasters, organists, and other persons requisite for the keeping of their divine şervice, is entirely left to themselves; but on the other hand, those that are chosen must be designed to the deputation of church matters for foreign religious relations, and through the same we must be applied to for the confirmation and vocation of the priests, which we will without great cause never refuse. But with respect to the Roman catholics, all clergyman, and so named clerici regulares, are now already totally excluded.

6. The chosen ecclesiastics must have the reputation of a virtuous life and peaceable temper; and if it should be required, they must even before their confirmation, be able to show such testimonies of persons meriting confidence; they must forbear all controversies and poignancies, especially against the evangelie Lutheran religion and their professors, in sermons or writings, and to abstain from all zeal of conversion, to keep quiet and peaceable, to have the proper regard for our reverend ministerium, never to affect any where any ministerial rights, and when they are out of their oratories to wear civil clothes; they may, in case it should happen, appear in black with a cloak.

7. All before-mentioned persons, priests, canditates, schoolmasters, etc. are according to our in our territory belonging, jurisdictionis ecclasiasticae, and the juris dioe cesani, solely subjected to our jurisdiction. They must become bound to the town, they must pay without refusal the same taxes which are borne by the members of our reverend ministerium and servants of the town churches; those among them who carry on a burger's trade, have to contribute like other burgers of the town. All taxes laid on the immobilis, and on the oratories of the foreign religion relations, for the present and in future, must also be paid without refusal.

8. It remains at the option of each religious party to solemnize his holidays of his church silently in his oratory, and shall not be therein interrupted by anybody. Processions and obsequies ofany kind whatsoever beyond the walls of the oratories, as also the public carriage of hosties to the sick, and in general all marks of a publik exercice of religion, which are solemnities that after all do not form the essential part of divine service, are not allowed.

9. The present existing ordinary, or in future extraordinary appointed fast or thanksgiving days, must also be solemnized by the foreign religion relations; the usual prayer for the senate, the burgery, and for all the town at the meetings for divine service, is to be formed after the model of our common prayer. The ordinances and notifications, which are to be published in the town churches, and which not concern the conscience or the religion must upon our request also be published in their oratories from their pulpits, in order to be brought to their knowledge, and to be attended to,

10. The usual ordinary collections at their meetings for divine service remains totally, and which is no more than to the edelst and intendants of each congreproper, gation, at their pleasing distribution amongst their poor. But extraordinary collections for particular purposes, which